On October 13, 2023, the Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter (CCAS) broke ground on a $2.7 million, 2,100 square foot expansion. The first add-on to the building since it was completed in 2001. The new space will be a multi-purpose room used for training and meetings, but most notably it will allow for indoor/outdoor play for the dogs at the shelter. 
CCAS has been running their daily ‘Unleashed’ playgroups since July of 2015, when they received training from Dogs Playing for Life. Dogs Play for Life teaches shelters across the country how to let their dogs play together in a way that is safe and social, as well as physically and mentally enriching to the shelter animal. The expansion will boast an overhead door that will allow the dogs freedom to roam outside in a fenced in and turfed play yard or seek respite inside the temperature-controlled space. Currently CCAS’s staff and volunteers spend almost 365 days a year outside in the all the elements Ohio has to offer to ensure the shelter dogs get their daily play time. The addition will provide relief when the weather becomes extreme.
The multi-purpose room will convert to other programming such as the shelter’s Humane Education program, behavior training, events, and a meeting space for local animal welfare professionals.
Friends of the Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter (FCCAS) couldn’t be more excited about this expansion! We intend to continue our support of the shelter’s physical plant by supporting projects inside and out once construction is complete. As of now, the addition is slated to be completed in September of 2024. Look for more updates here at www.fccas.org.
Watch the entire groundbreaking ceremony.
